Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Time, Timing, Speed, Movement, and Age - SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

“Final” is an adjective that can mean “coming at the end,” “reached as the outcome,” or “allowing no further doubt.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “coming at the end” or “allowing no further doubt.” That means that “initial” cannot be the correct answer, because “initial” means “existing or occurring at the beginning,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “final.” “Last,” however, is a word that when used as an adjective means “coming after all others in time or order; final,” and because “last” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “final,” “last” is the correct answer.

“Prepared,” when used as an adjective, can mean “ready for something : in a suitable condition for some purpose or activity,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “in a suitable condition for some purpose or activity.” That means that “unready” cannot be the correct answer, because “unready” means “not prepared for a situation or activity,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “prepared.” “Ready,” however, is an adjective that means “in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared,” and because “ready” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “prepared,” “ready” is the correct answer.

"Daily" means occurring everyday. Shallow means not deep. Dirty means not clean. Selfish describes someone who cares only about himself. Skinny describes someone who is thin.

"Rapid" means quick, so "quick" is the correct answer. "Gigantic" means very large; "humorous" means funny; "careful" means cautious; and "evil" means bad.

"Swift" means fast or quick.

"Ancient" means very old.

"Final" means last or end.

"Always" and "forever" have a similar meaning.

"Brief" and "short" both mean small amounts of time.

"Seldom" is an adjective that means rare, so "rare" is the correct answer.

"Introductory" can replace "beginning" to maintain the same meaning.

Something that is "unprecedented" has no "precedent," or previous case, so "unprecedented" describes something that has not happened before. So, "unique," which means one-of-a-kind or having no similar instances, is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "unprecedented": "energetic" means full of energy; "serious" means solumn or in earnest, with no intention to deceive or joke around; "terrible" means very bad; and "appropriate" means fitting the given setting.

"Coincidental" means occuring by chance, and you might call a "coincidental" meeting a "chance" meeting. So, "chance" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "coincidental": "reluctant" means not eager and resistant; "concerned" means worried or troubled; to "observe" something means to watch it; and "suggest" means share an idea about what to do or how to do something.

"Idle" means inactive, so "inactive" is the correct answer. To help you, "cheerful" means happy, "generous" means giving, and "disrespectful" means rude.

"Instant" is defined as occurring immediately, so "immediately" is the best answer choice! "Delayed" means taking more time to happen than was originally predicted, making it a loose antonym, or opposite, of "instant," and the other answer choices are not related in meaning to "instant."

"Sudden" is defined as occurring quickly and unexpectedly; thus, "unexpected" is the best answer choice.

The words "stealthy" and "swift" are synonyms describing something that is fast. The other words do not share this meaning.

"Timely" and "opportune" are synonyms. They refer to something that occurs at the right moment. This is a particularly difficult pair of words. If you look at the other answer choices, you'll find that they are all very similar. In fact, the other answer choices are synonymous with each other. "Opportune" is the one word that doesn't fit with the other answer choices. Therefore, it is likely to be related to the word "timely."

The words "stealthy" and "swift" are synonymous. They both refer to something that is quick. The words "slow" and "sluggish" mean the same thing; they refer to something that is not fast. "Loud" and "booming" are synonymous; they refer to something very loud. Identifying this relationship between the answer choices will help you arrive at the correct answer.